


To B, or not To(wnsperson) B

by TheBrokaryotes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/F, Flirting, Fluff, High School Musical References, Humor, Its all gay, Kissing, M/M, POV of Yachi, Volleyball gays, but she's also nervous 24/7, i love these gays, kiyoko is an angel, like so many townsperson B references, so much gay, tanaka and noya are such bros, the third years graduate and its lowkey angsty, there are like minor undertale references if you can find them lmao, townsperson B, yachi is actually james bond, yachi is literally amazing i love her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-07 07:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7705351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrokaryotes/pseuds/TheBrokaryotes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All her life, Yachi Hitoka has always been a Townsperson B kind of girl. She was always there on the sidelines, watching others pursue their dreams while she simply floated on by with life. Everything changes the fateful day that an angel by the name of Shimizu Kiyoko recruited her to become the manager of Karasuno’s very own volleyball team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> I just finished s2 of Haikyuu! and im in tears so that's fun  
> and of course, i wanted to share my suffering with yall by writing this fic and basically showing things from the viewpoint of our favorite blonde manager!  
> enjoy :)

“Do you want to stay after school with me?” 

_E-eh?_

How did it turn out like this? 

Yachi looked up into the eyes of the beautiful angel who had decided to grace her presence, despite her lowly status as a first year. The blonde couldn’t believe it; the woman before her was somehow _glowing_ , as if she were a magical being who had come to whisk her away to heav—

“Hello?”

The mellifluous voice, tinged with concern, snapped Yachi out of her trainwreck-esque thought process. 

“Yes! Yes, I’ll come!” Yachi piped up, not even remembering what it was that the beautiful student wanted her to stay after school for. After all, it would have been a sin to deny someone as pure as her, right? 

The black haired goddess clapped with excitement, her ocean blue eyes shining ever so subtly. The smile that she shot at Yachi was enough to make the poor first year almost go into cardiac arrest. 

“Great! I’ll meet you by the gym after school, then! Thank you so much. I’m Kiyoko, by the way. Shimizu Kiyoko.” 

As the third year walked— no, more like gracefully _sashayed_ away, Yachi tried to pick up her dignity off of the floor before it got trampled by the other students, who were quite obviously watching Shimizu as she went down the hall. The blonde couldn’t blame them, as she was still shaking herself from the experience. 

Classes went by in a blur, and after the bell rang to let the students go home, it was almost as if Yachi’s legs were moving on autopilot. She was headed towards the direction of the gym, alarm bells ringing in her head. Her inner voice shouted, _mayday, mayday! Gyms mean after school sports, which means huge boys who can crush little Yachis like you!_

It took all of her resolve, albeit depleting quickly, to not upchuck what remained of her lunch after that fun thought. 

Taking a deep breath, the young girl tried to calm herself. Soon, the only thing in her vision was the door before her, acting as a barrier between the familiar and the unknown. Was she ready to face the unknown? She could barely get in a proper word with her mother, how would she fare with a bunch of boys she hasn’t met before? Yachi lifted her hand, and grasped at the handle, not yet turning it. She knew that once she pushed the door open, there would be no turning back. 

Why? Because, when Yachi Hitoka started something, she always finished it. 

And so, Townsperson B pushed open the door, opening her life to a whole new world.


	2. Act I: Two Stupid Crows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t worry, Yachi. Things will fall into place by itself, but,” an almost mischievous glint comes to the teacher’s eyes, one that Yachi wasn’t expecting at all, “if you want, you can just… push them in the right direction.” 
> 
> The blonde first year blinks at the teacher for a moment, his words echoing in her head.
> 
> _Push them in the right direction._
> 
> _Push them._
> 
> _Push._

Yachi felt like she was witnessing World War III: The Volleyball Edition. 

Tensions were running high after practice, and to top it all off, Yachi had just witnessed Kageyama and Hinata try to murder each other! In _cold blood_! 

… Okay, maybe that wasn’t what quite happened, but honestly, the blonde first year couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. She thought that Kageyama and Hinata were rather good partners. Sure, they teased each other relentlessly, and sure, if Kageyama glared at Yachi like he glared at Hinata, Yachi would probably die on the spot, but Yachi didn’t think that in a million years they would get into a fist fight!

She appreciated that Hinata apologized profusely to her afterwards as he walked Yachi to the bus stop, the orange-haired boy probably not wanting to scare off the beginner manager in just her first few days. 

Before Hinata got on his bike to ride off, Yachi timidly grabbed the sleeve of his shirt to stop him. Questioning golden-orange eyes stared back at her. 

“U-um, Hinata, not to be too nosy, but… why were you and Kageyama fighting?” 

Hinata gave her a weary smile, one that didn’t fit his usually sunny disposition at all, Yachi thought. 

The boy leaned on his bike, and scratched his head, as if he didn’t know the answer off the top of his head either. Finally, he said, “I want to be able to stand on my own, Yachi-san. I want to be able to fight by myself, not rely on others all the time.” He looked away, towards the direction of his house. “I guess Kageyama doesn’t want to help me with that.” 

The bare disappointment in his last statement struck a chord with Yachi. A lump formed in her throat, feeling almost overly sympathetic towards Hinata. 

Noticing the clear shift in mood, Hinata waved his hands dismissively. “It’s fine though, Yachi-san, don’t worry about me.” Shifting his weight from one foot to another, a plastic smile formed on his face, one that Yachi didn’t like. “Ah, I’d better get going, it’s pretty late. Thanks for walking with me, Yachi-san.” 

Flashing her a peace sign, Hinata hopped on his bike and rode off, leaving Yachi alone to her thoughts. 

On the bus ride home, Yachi thinks back to before Kageyama and Hinata got into the fight that she desperately tried to block out of her mind most of the time. Before the incident, Hinata had wanted Kageyama to toss to him while the shorter boy had his eyes open. 

_What’s so special about keeping your eyes open? Isn’t that what most people do when they go for a quick?_ Yachi pondered, and then remembered how Hinata and Kageyama had a special attack: the “freak quick,” as everyone referred to it. 

So, to put simply, Kageyama didn’t want to give up on the attack that he and Hinata already had, but Hinata wanted to improve the “freak quick”. 

It was a deceptively simple problem, but Yachi could tell that it meant a lot to the duo. But how could they solve it, if Kageyama really didn’t want to help out Hinata? If they keep fighting, maybe Daichi would eventually kick them out of the club itself! Dejected, Hinata and Kageyama would drop out of school and join the Yakuza and—

Yachi shook her head, trying to force her wild imagination to stop coming up with ridiculous worst-case scenarios. 

Sleep was especially elusive, as a hurricane was whirling through the young girl’s mind, thoughts such as, _I don’t want the headlines to read “Bright Sunshine Boy and Terrifying King Setter murder each other in epic duel”_ and What can I do? How can I help?

She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut.

Can a Townsperson B like me even help? 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day, Yachi notices, Hinata and Kageyama aren’t fighting anymore.

Normally, this would be a good thing, but as Yachi leans on the gym wall next to Shimizu, she notices that they aren’t talking to each other. At all. 

Icy dread shoots up her spine. She knows what this was called, she knew all about the _dreaded cold shoulder_. And at that moment, Yachi decided to retract what she said about Kageyama and Hinata having the next World War III— this wasn’t just a world war, this was a _Cold War_.   
“Yachi!” 

The blonde jolts out of her anxieties at Takeda sensei’s voice, who gestures her over to sit next to him on the bench with one hand. 

Normally, Yachi would wary of everyone and anyone, but the gentle smile that the teacher wore on his face reminded Yachi of a buddha statue’s smile; it was reassuring, as if Takeda sensei were saying, “all is well!” 

_I can trust this man_ , Yachi thought as she sat down next to the teacher. Craning her neck up to get a better look at the teacher’s beaming face, she amended, _I was wrong. He doesn’t just have a buddha smile, he has the face of an angel._

“U-um? Thank you?” The black haired man said. 

Yachi looked at him questioningly, before her eyes widened, face flushing almost painfully. Slapping a hand over her mouth, she shot straight up to her feet and bowed to him repeatedly, warbling, “I’m so sorry! So sorry! I didn’t mean to say that outloud!” 

Between bows, Yachi could make out a sweat drop forming on Takeda’s forehead. The teacher waved his hands in an _it’s all good_ gesture, trying to calm down the near-hysterical girl. 

“It’s fine, Yachi! Please, sit down.” 

Yachi sat on the bench next to Takeda sensei, willing the entire universe to swallow her whole at that very moment. 

Takeda smiled at her again, almost reassuringly, and asked, “What’s wrong? I, er, just noticed that you seemed to be getting worked up over something, so…” 

The teacher clasped his hands together, as if embarrassed to be so forward with a student, let alone a first year that he had just met. 

Yachi, on the other hand, looked up at him, with her jaw almost dropped to the ground. This man, this angel of a human, was worried about _her_! He wanted to help her out of his own volition! What sorcery was this, to find such a nice teacher in the midst of the whirlwind of Yachi’s personal anxieties? 

Collecting herself, Yachi said, “Can I ask you a question?”

Brightening, Takeda sensei replied, “Of course!” 

“It’s a hypothetical situation, um…” Yachi looks at Takeda nervously, who just waits patiently for her to go on. 

“So, I know two people who are in a fight right now. I don’t want to meddle in their affairs or anything, but they seemed that they make such a good team, and now they’re just not talking!”

Takeda sensei nodded. “Even the best of friends fight sometimes. It’s how they make up their differences that shows how strong the relationship really is.” 

Yachi _ohh-ed_ in understanding, before continuing, “but what if they don’t make up? They are, um, somewhat stubborn.”

“Well, do you know why they are fighting?” 

“I think,” Yachi paused for a moment before continuing, “I think it’s because one of them wants to improve on a attack that’s already really powerful, and the other wants to keep it the way it is.” 

Takeda turns to Yachi, and Yachi almost swears that he sees a mystical spotlight shine directly on the man, illuminating him and blocking out everything else in Yachi’s line of sight. 

“Don’t worry, Yachi. Things will fall into place by itself, but,” an almost mischievous glint comes to the teacher’s eyes, one that Yachi wasn’t expecting at all, “if you want, you can just… push them in the right direction.” 

The blonde first year blinks at the teacher for a moment, his words echoing in her head.

_Push them in the right direction._

_Push them._

_Push._

The solution hit her head as gracefully as a bag of bricks, and she knew what she had to do. 

Jumping up to her feet, Yachi bowed to Takeda sensei for the ump-teenth time within the hour, and said, “Thank you very much!” before heading over to the practicing volleyball team once more to help hand out water bottles. 

From his perch on the bench, Takeda lets out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding, and smiled warmly, affectionately. Yachi reminded him of the kindergarteners from the classes he used to teach back when he first started as a teacher, and it was rather endearing, the way that Yachi was completely open even when trying to be secretive. 

_Don’t worry Yachi,_ Takeda thought with slight amusement, _with you at their side, Kageyama and Hinata will definitely start talking to each other again._

“What are you laughing at?” 

Takeda nearly jumped at the Ukai’s voice as the coach sat down next to him. 

“Oh? Did I startle you? Sorry,” Ukai grinned, not sounding sorry at all. 

Takeda just pouted at him as the younger man clasped his shoulder good-naturedly, and continued watching over the practice. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the end of the day, Yachi tries to act as casual as she can, saying goodbye nicely to everybody as they walked out of the gym. She had volunteered to clean up the court herself, which is why she had a reason to stay behind. That way, no one would be suspicious, especially not Kageyama and Hinata, when Yachi lingered to talk to them. 

Yachi grinned to herself, despite the usual nervousness she felt almost 24/7. This was okay. She could do this. Clenching her fists when Kageyama began to walk out of the gym, she opened her mouth. 

_Phase One, in action._

“K-Kageyama!” 

Kageyama turned to her, a slightly surprised expression on his face, as if he hadn’t expected the smaller girl to speak. 

“Yes?” 

“C-Can you help me reach something in the storage closet for me? I, er, it’s super important! And it won’t take more than five minutes, so don’t worry at al—” 

“Sure,” Kageyama interrupted Yachi’s rambling smoothly, “I’ll be waiting in the closet. You can go ahead and say bye to everyone else, Yachi-san.” 

Yachi almost didn’t respond, unbelieving that _Phase One_ had been completed so easily. She quickly nodded with a thankful smile at the setter, as he walked off towards the direction of the storage closet. 

The first year continued to say bye to the others as they walked out of the gym, until it came to Hinata. She constructed her best _I’ve got a secret to tell you_ face, and pulled the orange haired boy aside as stealthily as possible, grabbing him by the sleeve like she had that day at the bus stop. 

Taken by surprise, Hinata stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. 

“W-what—”

“Hinata!” Yachi exclaimed, quickly putting a finger to lips, signaling that they should be quiet. 

Hinata looked around, seeing no one left in the gym as he was the last one left. Even still, he lowered the volume of his voice and whispered, “What’s wrong?” 

“I’ve got a secret to tell you. But you can’t tell _anyone_ , okay?” 

The sparkle of curiosity flashed in Hinata’s eyes, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, again looking around for any listeners that might have straggled. When he saw none, he turned back to Yachi.

“Why me?”

“Because I think you’ll like this secret a lot.” 

Yachi leaned in closer, knowing that she had the short player completely enraptured. “It’s the Little Giant.” 

Hinata couldn’t help himself, as he positively screamed, “THE LITTLE GIA—”, only to be cut off by Yachi shushing him vehemently. 

“He’s here!” Yachi felt insanely bad about lying, but she also couldn’t help but cherish the look on Hinata’s face. His entire being had somehow lit up like a match. Even his face was getting pinker, and pinker… and redder… and… and… 

Bluer?

“Breath, Hinata! Oh my God, don’t die, breath!” Yachi grabbed Hinata’s shoulders and started shaking the starstruck boy so hard that he almost had whiplash. 

“I-I’m fine, I just got over excited for a second, that’s all,” Hinata wheezed, and Yachi began to low key regret the choice of lie she used to bait him, but that couldn’t be helped now. 

“Listen, just catch your breath, then follow me!” Yachi suggested gently, waiting for Hinata to catch his breath. Slowly but surely, color flowed back into his face, and the once wilted flower had blossomed again into his usual exuberant sunflower-like self. 

Yachi again put her finger to lip to signal Hinata to be quiet, and then the two made their way to the supply closet. Remembering to keep his silence, Hinata just looked at Yachi questioningly. 

_Phase Two complete. Commencing Phase Three._

Yachi mouthed to Hinata while pointing into the closet, “He’s in there!” 

Hinata nodded, and just as Yachi was afraid that the volleyball player was going to forget to breath again, Hinata peeked inside the closet.

_“Push them in the right direction.”_

“Yachi-san, I don’t see anyone in there, it’s kinda da—” Hinata was cut off when Yachi _pushed_ him into the closet, quickly hopping in after him and closing the door behind them, engulfing them in semi-darkness. 

Hinata once again regained his balance, and looked at Yachi, eyebrows up to his forehead, eyes wide. “Y-Yachi-san…?” 

Mustering up her courage and locking away her fear of confrontation, Yachi planted her hands on her hips and declared, “I lied about the Little Giant, Hinata, I’m sorry! But, I needed to do this!” 

Hinata gulped, backing away slightly. “M-murder?!” 

“What? No—”

“Oi, what is this?” A new, slightly irritated voice spoke, causing Hinata to jump. “Yachi-san, I thought you needed my help?” 

“I’m sorry, I lied about that too Kageyama!” Yachi turned to Kageyama, who had been diligently waiting for her in the supply closet like he said he would. “I just… I just want you two to _grow up_ and talk out your problems!” 

She was breathing heavily after her declaration, earning herself shell-shocked looks from both Hinata and Kageyama. Unclenching her hands which had formed fists without her permission, she said a little more quietly, “Please, just talk it out. I don’t like seeing you two like this.” 

After a moment in silence, in which Hinata and Kageyama refused to look at each other, turning their gazes to the floor, to the shelves, to _anything_ , before Hinata finally glared at Kageyama. 

“You really fell for the ol’ ‘I need help,’ damsel-in-distress shtick, Kageyama?” Hinata sneered childishly, the first sentence he had said to Kageyama in what felt like decades to Yachi. She thought she heard a clanging somewhere, but then realized it was just the sound of her stomach dropping as Kageyama and Hinata started bickering again. 

Kageyama turned to Hinata, returning the petulant glare, and rebuked, “oh, and you thought that the Little Giant would just _magically_ be in the supply closet, did you?” 

The other volleyball player spluttered, before retorting, “Well, at least the Little Giant would want to improve his volleyball skills!” 

“What are you talking about, dumbass?” 

“All I want is to grow! Improve! Become better!” 

“You want to grow? I don’t think your height has anything to do with volleyball right now—”

“No, Bakageyama, that’s not what I meant! I just… want to make our ‘freak quick’ better! I know we can, if you just—” 

This time, it was Kageyama’s turn to say “No.”

“Why not?” 

“Just stick with what we have, stupid!”

“Don’t you want to get better Kageyama?” 

“What?” 

“Don’t you want to beat Seijoh? Defeat the Grand King? Defeat the team that blocked our ‘freak quick,’ get past the other teams that will be able to block our quick?” 

“Of course I do—”

“Then why won’t you just toss to me—”

“BECAUSE WHAT IF WE CAN’T DO IT?” Kageyama roared, causing both Hinata and Yachi to flinch. 

What felt like a century passed before Hinata prodded once more, this time gentler. “Kageya—”

“What if we can’t do it?” Kageyama repeated once more, squeezing his eyes shut, his fists trembling. Kageyama’s insecurities flooded out as if Hinata had broken down a dam, every “toss to me, Kageyama!” another blow until Kageyama finally exploded. 

“What if it’s still not enough, what i—” 

“Kageyam—”

“What if we _lose_ , what i—”

“Tobio.” 

Kageyama was stunned into silence after hearing Hinata utter his first name boldly. 

“Let’s play volleyball together. Let’s just get better, and better, and if that’s not enough, we’ll get even better.” 

He stepped closer to the setter, who was looking down at him with impossibly wide blue eyes. 

“Besides,” Hinata grasped Kageyama’s arms gently, and pulled him even closer, their chests almost touching as he looked up, fire making eye contact with the ocean, “when I’m here, _you’re invincible_!” 

Kageyama made a little gasp noise, entranced by the boy before him. His words were incredibly naive, but somehow, just _somehow_ , Kageyama felt ten times calmer. He felt reassured. 

The setter’s expression fell back into his usual neutral, calculating one, but Yachi could’ve sworn she saw a blush on his face before he pushed Hinata away, making his way towards the closet door to leave. 

Yachi’s heart started sinking, before Kageyama turned around and said, “I’ll toss to you, idiot, but don’t try to sound so cool again. It doesn’t suit you.” 

Hinata blinked, before grumbling, “I am cool, Bakageyama!” 

Yachi didn’t miss the smile on Hinata’s face, however. 

“Alright,” Yachi clapped, giving the two volleyball players a start, as if they had completely forgotten about her presence, “Although I’m sorry I lied to both of you, I’m glad that’s over with. Now, let’s get out of here!” 

She made her way towards the door to open it, panicking slightly when it didn’t budge. Rattling it harder and making dying whale noises didn’t help, she noted absent-mindedly as panic slowly set in.

“I think it’s looked from the outside,” Hinata supplied unhelpfully, earning himself a “no shit, Sherlock” from Kageyama. 

_And I told everyone to go home, because I said I would clean the gym by myself. Amazing. Wonderful. Great. Is it just me, or is the ground moving?_

 

She collapsed to her knees in defeat, trembling. 

“Ah! Yachi-san, are you okay?” 

“What’s that weird dying cat noise you’re making?” Kageyama asked.

“How are we gonna get out of here? If we never get out of here, Kageyama will never toss to me—” 

“Is that really what you’re thinking about right now? _Seriously_?” 

Yachi clasped her hands over her ears as the duo began bickering again, and at that moment, the blonde little first year regretted everything. 

“Tobio, stop being so mean!” 

“D-don’t call me that!” 

“To-bi-ooo!” 

Yup. She regretted everything. 

… 

After around an hour, an angel that also happened to be Karasuno’s volleyball team manager ended up opening the closet to take inventory that she forgot to take yesterday, only to be surprised by the three first years that made a mad dash to freedom. 

And so, Kageyama, Hinata, and Yachi all came out of the closet. Literally.


	3. Act II: Mama and Papa Crow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata’s head perked up like a dog who had just finished being admonished by its owner, as he nodded vigorously, akin to a tail being wagged. 
> 
> “Sorry, dad! It won’t happen again!” 
> 
> _Whoomp, there it is._

It was a regular day at practice, nothing special at Karasuno High today. 

_Or so it seemed_ , Yachi thought, completely on edge and ready to take extreme action at a moment’s notice. More than once, one of the volleyball players had surprised her with a simple “Hi, Yachi-san,” or, “Hey, are you okay,” only to be greeted with Yachi’s gut-reaction: jumping into a frenzied karate pose. 

Tsukishima found it excessively hilarious, and so the tall middle blocker tried to interact with Yachi just to catch her off guard every chance he got. It was the most times that he had ever asked the blonde girl for water in a single practice, so much so that Hinata pulled Tsukishima aside and asked in the most genuinely worried voice, “Is your peepee not working?” 

Not wanting to explain to the orange haired boy that he was just teasing Yachi, watching her jump in a new novel karate pose nervously every time she was called for, Tsukishima instead opted to just call Hinata an idiot, causing the shorter boy to fume angrily. 

That was a whole different can of worms, though. The bottom line was, it was a completely normal, regular, typical day at Karasuno’s after school volleyball practice. So, why was Yachi so anxious? 

Well, the young girl had watched enough thriller and spy movies to know that when things seemed regular, when life seemed to lull into a familiar pattern of actions and events, that was when _conflict_ struck. There was next to nothing that Yachi hated more than she did conflict. Except for maybe snakes, robbers, ghosts, broccoli, sun burns, scary sounds, the words “dank” and “meme” used in succession, loud noises—

Needless to say, Yachi was sure that something was going to happen to disrupt the normalcy that the volleyball practices had seemingly fallen into. Something was going to interrupt the routine that had been built up over the course of a few weeks, and it could happen any day now. Any day, any hour, any minute, any second. 

And Yachi Hitoka would be prepared. 

That’s why when the blonde first year heard a _BANG_ , she quickly fell into the fetal position, only to realize a few seconds later that it was just the noise of the volleyball slapping the ground at probably Mach 2 speed. Raising her head, she sees Hinata whooping with joy, the little spit fire jumping around with utter excitement, almost blinding to the naked human eye. 

“I did it, I did it, _did you see that Kageyama_ , I—”

“Hinata!” 

The angry, booming voice from across the court caused Hinata to stop prancing around like a hyperactive _My Little Pony_ character. In fact, the entire gym fell silent, everyone hanging on the words of their enraged captain. 

“Are you even watching where you’re jumping? You almost landed right into the net!” 

Daichi stalked up to Hinata, who was immobile, wearing the same expression as a deer caught in headlights. Yachi knew that expression quite well, having acquainted herself with it over the years, more often than she’d like to admit. 

The captain gave Hinata a stern look for a few more seconds, which probably felt like hours to the fiery first year, who hung his head ashamedly. Finally, Daichi relaxed his expression and clasped Hinata’s shoulders.

In a more gentle voice, the captain soothed, “Please, be more careful. I know how much you love playing volleyball, and we love playing volleyball with you, so please.” 

Hinata’s head perked up like a dog who had just finished being admonished by its owner, as he nodded vigorously, akin to a tail being wagged. 

“Sorry, dad! It won’t happen again!” 

_Whoomp, there it is._

Daichi’s eyes widened. If were possible, the room became even more dead silent than it was before. The first year looked around, as if wondering what had elicited this reaction out of everyone, until the realization of what he just had said dawned on him. 

Hinata clasped his mouth, stuttering wildly, trying to take back his error, but it was too late. He had fumbled. 

The damage had been done. 

Tsukishima and Kageyama are the first to burst out in laughter, only to be overshadowed by the much more rambunctious, raucous laughter of Noya and Tanaka. Their guffaws filled the gym, echoing around until it became so contagious that even Coach Ukai and Takeda sensei were chuckling softly at their perches on the bench. 

Yachi was burning in second hand embarrassment for her friend, but she also couldn’t help but be enraptured by the pure joy that had somehow been born unto the gym. She was completely mesmerized— even their angel manager had a small smile on her face. 

“You regard your senpai that highly?” Tanaka crowed, as Noya slapped Hinata on the back rather harshly, whose face was almost as red as his hair. 

“You’re not hiding your daddy kink that well, Shoyo!” Noya noogied the first year relentlessly, whose face was as red as his hair. The incorrigible noises that spewed out of Hinata’s mouth became more high-pitched and alarmed at Noya’s teasing, his soul surely leaving his body at this point. 

Even Asahi joined in the laughter, patting Daichi on the back almost sympathetically. “Being a dad actually suits you, captain.” 

Yachi agreed. Their black haired captain just had that reassuring atmosphere about him. He was the foundation of their volleyball team, the one who would always have your back in the midst of a heated game; if you fumbled once, twice, thrice, Daichi would be there to pick the ball up and keep it in the air. From the agreeing nods coming from most of the other volleyball players, Yachi knew that everyone had the same opinion. 

Daichi just blinked unbelievingly at the still-laughing students, jaw open in an almost comical incredulous expression. Yachi didn’t blame him; after all, they had just dropped somewhat of a truth bomb on the third-year. 

After evidently getting his wits back about him, the captain half-whimpered, half-croaked, “Wait. If you all think I’m the dad, then who’s the _mom_?” 

Silence took over the gym, a stark contrast to the previous jovial peals of giggles that were ringing through the court. Noya and Tanaka share a knowing look, before Noya whistles innocently and spins a ball on the palm of his hand, feigning innocence. Even Yamaguchi looks rather flustered, looking anywhere besides Daichi when the captain turned his imploring gaze towards the pinch-server. 

In a daze, Daichi turns to Shimizu, looking at the unsuspecting manager as if he were a man dying of thirst and she were the oasis come to save him. 

“Kiyoko-san?” He questioned, a glimmer of hope in his voice as he willed Shimizu to be his savior in the midst of the unrelenting crows surrounding him. 

However, the angelic third year simply smiled at him. 

Finally, Daichi turned to Yachi, who realized that she was still on the floor in a partially formed fetal position. 

“Yachi?” 

Scrambling up to her feet, the blonde first year brushed the dust off of her pants as she said, “Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Straightening up to meet the captain’s brown eyes, Yachi’s next words reverberated around the room.

“It’s Suga-san.” 

_And then the dam that the first and second years had inadvertently been holding up suddenly burst at the hands of one Townsperson B._

“Ehhh?” The silver haired setter squealed, dropping the ball he was holding. Pink roses blossomed beautifully on his cheeks, the blush traveling down his chest, only to be concealed by the volleyball uniform that suddenly seemed too hot to be wearing. 

Feeling like Suga’s turmoil was a direct result of her own words, Yachi quickly tried to amend her bold statement. 

Her hands flailed wildly as she blustered, “It’s not embarrassing or anything!” 

Although Daichi and Suga’s matching blushes begged to differ, the manager-in-training continued, “Daichi-san just gives out the fatherly vibe, and he’s the captain too, so really, it’s kind of fitting— especially when you scold Tanaka-san and Noya-san like that! And Suga-san is just the perfect complement to that, since he basically has everyone under his thumb.” 

The little girl starts to get light headed, as everyone’s gaze seems to be on her, beaming at her like ten different flashlights interrogating her under their scrutiny. She’s breathing somewhat heavily, as if having given the speech of a lifetime. 

_And the oscar goes to…_

“She’s kind of spot on,” Tsukishima says, smirking as he becomes the first one to break the stunned silence. 

“Yeah!” Noya chimes in, loudly voicing his agreement. “Couldn’t have said it better myself!” 

“Of course you couldn’t, because you aren’t smart enough with words like Yachi is!” Tanaka rebuked, only to narrowly dodge a punch from the shorter boy. 

Even Suga finds himself giggling, echoing Yachi’s words, “ _Under my thumb?_ Really.” With a mock pensive look, he taps his chin with his fingers, as if he were in deep thought. “I could _totally_ use this to my advantage, right?” 

A collective shudder seems to travel through the room. 

“Did anyone else feel that?” Hinata wheedled, wrapping his arms around himself whilst shivering. Kageyama shared a similar wrecked expression. 

Only Daichi seemed to be immune to Suga’s devilish intentions. “Feel what?” 

Looking at the ridiculous scene unravel before her, Yachi almost couldn’t believe that these people were real. These adorable, crazy, and borderline terrifying crows were all hers. 

A barely stifled giggle turned into cute, high-pitched laughter, which eventually evolved into tear-jerking, full out hysterics. The noises she made echoed throughout the room, causing the volleyball players to all stare at her at once yet again. 

The laughter proved to be contagious; within minutes, guffaws and giggles coming from the gym could be heard all the way from the main Karasuno building. It was a beautiful scene. 

Eventually, the team got over the _Daddy Daichi_ incident as Noya had so graciously dubbed it, save for Tsukishima teasing Hinata about it now and then. Other than that, it was pretty much over. The team referred to Daichi and Suga as Papa Dai and Mama Suga on a regular basis, but it didn’t seem to faze the duo at all. 

It didn’t faze the team either five years later at a Christmas party, when they witnessed Suga and Daichi kissing under the mistletoe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two words: Daddy Daichi 
> 
> Also I love comments plz


	4. Act III: The Cat and the Crow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yamaguchi.” 
> 
> “Yeah?” 
> 
> “That black haired cat-human could be the answer to our problem.” 
> 
> “What? Are you talking about a furry or something?” 
> 
> “A furry? What’s that?” 
> 
> “ … Never mind that. It’s getting late, let’s go.”

The summer training camp at Tokyo was sort of a different experience for Yachi. For one, she was really anxious, but that wasn’t unusual for Yachi who lived her life in a constant state of turmoil. What was unique about the summer training camp was that Yachi was _genuinely_ excited about convincing her mother that she was serious about being Karasuno’s team manager. 

Not to mention the general excitement that seemed to be leaking into the atmosphere from the hype that surrounded Hinata, Noya, and Tanaka wherever they went. It took her a bit of time, but Yachi had gotten completely used to each and every Karasuno crow, and she didn’t tell them, but each and every one of them held a special place in her heart. 

However, getting used to the presence of other volleyball players was a different story. 

Her excitement seemed to slowly, painfully, mutate into fear as she entered the _jungle_. Limbs and testosterone everywhere, the jungle was full of giants that could probably crush her like a bug. How did they even play volleyball with those tree trunks that they called arms?! Yachi forgot about convincing her mother that she was serious about volleyball, instead focusing on convincing the innards of her stomach not to jump ship. 

If Kiyoko-san weren’t there, Yachi thinks that she would’ve ran all the way home by now without sparing a second glance at Tokyo. 

However, the mere presence of the angel was enough to squash down Yachi’s anxieties momentarily, as Shimizu symbolized a sort of refuge for Yachi to take safe haven with if she really needed to. 

Despite the first year’s worries, it was truly an amazing, almost humbling experience to see everyone working on their weaknesses. Suga practiced setting more, and so did Kageyama, and Hinata seemed dead set on improving his spikes. Daichi got dragged away by Noya, Tanaka, and some guy from Nekoma who looked eerily like he could be Tanaka’s long lost twin brother, to practice receiving and serving. Even Yamaguchi, who was almost as much of a nervous wreck as Yachi was, continued working hard on his serves. 

It filled Yachi with determination. In her vision, it felt like everyone wanted to go from being Townsperson B to being something even more special, like… like Townsperson A, or even a main role. To be fair, the analogy made more sense in Yachi’s head. 

There was, however, one outlier that the blonde first year couldn’t ignore: the other blond first year that Karasuno had to offer, Tsukishima Kei. 

At first, Yachi didn’t pay much mind to it. It was just Tsukishima, the coolest, most stoic first year in all of Karasuno, right? Maybe he didn’t bother to do any extra practice like literally the rest of the volleyball team made a point to, but that still didn’t mean he wasn’t putting in the effort to go the extra mile right? 

_Right?_

Yachi is at a loss. Even her own inner monologue didn’t seem the least bit convincing to herself. Technically, it wasn’t any of her business; what Tsukishima decided to do with his free time was up to _him_. He was slightly older than her, taller than her, and more experience at volleyball than her. He had to know what he was doing, and had to know the consequences of whatever actions he was taking— or rather, whatever actions he _wasn’t_ taking. 

Still, the girl couldn’t help but notice a certain freckle-faced pinch server looking forlornly at Tsukishima, as he walked away to leave after practice. Studying Yamaguchi’s face intently, she realized that he stared at the tall blond boy kind of like how Romeo would have 2looked at Juliet. Longingly, because Romeo didn’t want to lose Juliet. But whatever could Romeo do, if Juliet simply wasn’t interested in staying overtime? 

Yachi likes Yamaguchi. She thinks they share a lot in common— for one, they’re both anxious trainwrecks who simply try to get by life without getting run over, and for two, they both seem to have a sense of underlying determination once you get past the layers of nervousness, sweat, and more nerves. Also, she wasn’t scared of him right off the bat; the first day when Kiyoko-san had lead her into the gym to introduce her as the manager-in-training to the team, he gave her a genuine, encouraging smile, which was always a nice first impression to have. 

So, Yachi ambled up to Yamaguchi and exclaimed, “Yamaguchi, are you Romeo?” 

The pinch server dropped the ball he was holding and turned cherry red. It seemed like even his freckles were flushing, Yachi thought at the back of her mind as she waited for the boy to compose himself. 

“A-are you flirting with me, Yachi-san?” 

_An unexpected attack from a deceivingly formidable opponent. Townsperson B is floored._

The blonde girl’s only response was a garble of unintelligible words, her arms spazzing wildly as she tried to squelch down the screams of “nope, definitely not!” that were threatening to spill over. 

Thankfully, Yamaguchi seemed to get the idea, as he giggled, “A-ah, I’m sorry! That was really presumptuous of me!” 

Giving the boy a wary look, she mumbled sheepishly, “You don’t have to laugh, y’know,” to which Yamaguchi only smiled good-naturedly, before his gaze drew to where Tsukishima had left minutes ago, his eyebrows pinching slightly. 

Poking the freckled boy in the side gently, Yachi said, “I was wondering why you looked so sad.” 

Following his line of sight, she continued, “It’s Tsukishima, isn’t it?”

Yamaguchi startled for a moment, before sighing. Shoulders slumped with his head slightly hunched in defeat, he muttered, “It’s nothing, really, I just kind of worry about Tsukki sometimes.” 

With a mischievous glint in her eye, she smiled subtly. “It’s because he hasn’t had his… _head in the game_ , right?” 

The other boy choked, eyes widening. “Is that a high school musical reference, Yach—”

Yamaguchi was cut off by Yachi, who had whipped her hand straight out to point at Yamaguchi determinedly. 

“THIS TOWNSPERSON B WILL INVESTIGATE FOR YOU, YAMAGUCHI!” 

And just like that, Yachi had left the pinch server in the dust, dashing off in pursuit of the tall middle blocker.

Rushing through the evening sky, her hair a bright beacon against the navy backdrop, she ran in the direction that the lanky volleyball player had strolled off towards. After what felt like the tensest moment of her life, the _James Bond_ theme playing on constant repeat at the back of her head, Yachi finally saw the taller boy’s familiar mop of golden hair. 

She was about to call out to him when—

_Abort, abort!_

Not just one, but two titans had leapt out from the adjacent gym to take ahold of Tsukishima! She watched in utter horror as the middle blocker was whisked— no, _abducted_ , right from underneath her nose! 

They shut the gym door behind them, holding Tsukishima hostage with them. 

Yachi stood there in complete shock for a moment, wondering how she could walk back to the rest of her team just to tell them that she had failed her mission, she had failed to even _make it_ to Tsukishima, and now Tsukishima was gone. The eulogy she would recite at his funeral was already being formed, thanks to Yachi’s hyperactive brain, but a certain sight blocked the flow of her morbid thoughts: the window. 

Sneaking to the window ever so quietly, the girl peeked through while trying to maintain her _James Bond_ level of clandestine nature. 

At a closer glance, the two who had dragged Tsukishima into the gym were somewhat familiar-looking. Yachi’s mouth formed a silent “o” as she realized who they were. The first giant was a gangly, muscular thing with trademark knee pads and iconic multi colored hair that seemed to be spiked up, just like Noya’s. _Bokuto Koutaru_ , Yachi remembered, _the captain of Fukurodani_.

The other giant was another third-year, one with pitch black hair and a cat-like smile that made Yachi want to simultaneously hug and push the taller man away. She could tell that Tsukishima felt like doing the latter, the way that he tried in vain to maintain his distance from the handsy duo. _And this is Kuroo Tetsuro_ , Yachi noted studiously, _captain of Nekoma_. 

Another voice from inside the gym caught Yachi’s attention, bringing her to realize that there was another third year in there with Tsukishima. She eyed him with a scrupulous squint, knowing from watching CSI and NCIS that every detail was important, especially at a crime scene— the scene of a _kidnapping_. 

The unidentified third year was also from Fukurodani, if the team jersey was evidence enough. He wore a slightly calm look, almost similar to Tsukishima’s disinterested demeanor, except something about him put out a different aura than Tsukishima’s; maybe it was that he was the _complete opposite_. Maybe his calm look and Tsukishima’s disinterested look just showed the extent of the contrast between them. The third year seemed weathered yet wise, with years of knowledge hidden in his eyes that were filling to the brim with intelligence and diligence. 

Poise, perfection, and class. This _had_ to be Akaashi Keiji, Fukurodani’s highly esteemed setter— or so Yachi had heard, from the way some people talked about him. She hadn’t missed the way that Kageyama perked up whenever his name was mentioned; he must’ve been a great setter if Kageyama was interested. 

Yachi started devising ways to save Tsukishima from the clutches of the three third years. It must’ve been scary, surrounded by giants like that, but Tsukishima was doing a great job putting on a brave face! Or maybe it wasn’t as scary, since the blond boy was taller than all of them. _Man, how nice would it be to be that tall— no, focus Yachi! Your mission is to save him!_

But before she could think of a plan, the four volleyball players started a two on two match. It had seemed that the spiky haired one, Kuroo, had managed to miff Tsukishima enough into actually joining them in their practice. The match got intense quickly, Tsukishima blocking a spike one moment, only to miss it the next. He was breathing heavily, eyes narrowed in concentration. Sweat pooled at his brow, but even still, he still managed to maintain a level of grace that no other player could. 

Something about his demeanor struck Yachi, however. She had seen him annoyed before, many times actually, but she had never seen him so… so… 

“Determined. He’s so determined!” 

Yachi nearly _screams_ at the voice, whipping her head around with a strangled yelp and losing her balance, crashing clumsily to the ground. She looked up to realize that it was only Yamaguchi, who had caught up to her, she closed her eyes and clutched at her heart, willing it to stop running a marathon. 

Yamaguchi’s eyebrows knit in worry, as he reached down to help her out. 

As the girl took his hand to get back to her feet, he fretted, “Sorry Yachi! I keep startling you today, don’t I?” 

Yachi waved him off, trying to put on a nonchalant facade, as if she hadn’t just nearly jumped twenty feet in the air and left her mortal body to ascend to the next plane of existence. “No, it’s fine! I was just so focused on the game.” 

Turning back to the window, she made room for Yamaguchi to look in as well. 

Tsukishima was still working hard, his biceps straining through his shirt every time he received a spike. Yachi didn’t miss the small, satisfied smirk that Tsukishima just barely hid whenever he made it through Kuroo and Bokuto’s ironclad defenses either. 

Her eyes drew to the captain of Nekoma. She worried her bottom lip, chewing on it as a plan started to formulate in her head. 

“Yamaguchi.” 

“Yeah?” 

“That black haired cat-human could be the answer to our problem.” 

“What? Are you talking about a furry or something?” 

“A furry? What’s that?” 

“ … Nevermind that. It’s getting late, let’s go.” 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day, Yachi made sure to track down Yamaguchi, bright and early in the morning. She caught him, just as he was about to walk into the gym to stretch before Karasuno’s practice match with Nekoma. 

“Good morning, Yachi-sa— _aaah_!” Yamaguchi’s greeting turned into a yelp of surprise, as Yachi grabbed his sleeve, dragging the freckled boy away, until the two were at the back of the building. 

“W-what? What is it?” Yamaguchi stuttered out as Yachi dropped his sleeve, instead pinning him down with her fiery gaze. 

“I know what we need to do!” 

Understanding flooded through the pinch setter, replacing his previous confusion. “Are you talking about what you said yesterday?” 

“Yes, of course! What else would I be talking about, keep up Yams!” 

“ _Yams_?” Yamaguchi blushed at the completely ridiculous nickname. Was this how Tsukishima felt whenever he called him Tsukki?

“It’s your code name. I figured since we’re partners in crime now, we would need code names. You can call me _Uber-Cool Manager in Training_ , okay?” 

“Aren’t code names supposed to be short? Also, why does my code name have to be a _vegetable_?”

“Irrelevant! Now, onto the plan I’ve devised. We have to bribe Kuroo into practicing overtime with Tsukishima everyday during camp until he realizes his undying love for volleyball, and becomes the number one middle blocker in all of Tokyo. Or actually, all of Japan. All thanks to us, of course.”

“Wait, so why do you need my help?” 

Yachi deflated a bit, before she mumbled, “I hate confrontation, which is where you come in.” 

“I hate confrontation too.” 

_Back to square one_. 

The blonde first year groaned miserably, clutching her head in defeat. It had taken her all night to think of that plan! But if she and Yamaguchi couldn’t even confront Nekoma’s captain, how would they even carry out the plan?

“Also,” Yamaguchi started, a reluctant expression on his face as he noticed Yachi’s dejection, “your plan does have a few holes in it. First of all, how are we going to get Kuroo-san alone to bribe him? Wait, before that, I feel morally obligated to say that we can’t really force Tsukki to play volleyball if he doesn’t want to. Or at least, we shouldn’t.” 

There it was. The anvil that weighed Yachi’s almost foolproof plan down. _Logic_. 

Shoulders slumped, the black cloud of failure threatened to swallow Yachi whole. “I just,” she sighed, “I just want Tsukishima to be determined like that all the time, you know?” 

Taking a look at Yamaguchi and his small, bittersweet, yet somehow reassuring smile, she knew he understood. In fact, he probably understood more than anyone else did. 

A deep, cattish laugh behind the two startled them out of their wits. 

“My, my! And just what did you plan on bribing me with, cute first years?” 

Everything was in slow motion, like in a horror movie, as Yachi and Yamaguchi sluggishly turned around only to come face to face with the infamous captain of Nekoma. 

He wore a grin deeper than the Cheshire Cat’s, his eyes twinkling with absolute mirth. His arms were crossed lazily, and even his messily gelled hair seemed to be teasing the two first years, who were both warbling unintelligible words as their cheeks flushed with chagrin and utter embarrassment at having been caught in the midst of formulating their plan. 

The third year drawled out his words, clearly enjoying the effect his presence had on Yachi and Yamaguchi. “Well, I do like seeing Glasses-kun like that too, to be honest.” 

This caught Yachi’s attention. Mustering up the courage to speak up to the hulking figure in front of her, she managed to say, “Like what?” 

“Determined. That was the word you used, right? He’s especially _cute_ that way, don’t you agree?” Kuroo winked, and Yachi was sure that if Yamaguchi’s eyes bugged out even more that they would pop out right then and there. 

“Y-you think Tsukki is cute?” 

Kuroo just winked again, and his smirk deepened even more. Yachi didn’t think it was possible for someone to look so smug. 

“I think I’ll help you out.” 

Yachi didn’t really know what to say to that, but as the third year walked away, she guessed that he didn’t need a response. Yamaguchi and her shared a dumbfounded glance. Just how did Kuroo plan to help out? 

It became evident over the course of the next few days, as Kuroo managed to whisk Tsukishima away with the help of Fukurodani’s captain to practice with Akaashi as well, while Yachi and Yamaguchi covertly observed through the window. It became routine, Yachi noticed, as Tsukishima started to anticipate whenever Kuroo would drag him into the gym. Even so, he didn’t seem to make a conscientious effort to avoid the third years, not like he had in the beginning. The tall middle blocker from Karasuno continued to practice hard, and Yachi loved the smile it put on Yamaguchi’s face. 

However, a few days before the training camp ended, Tsukishima seemed to be having an especially hard time with his blocks. 

Yachi knew that everyone had off-days, and this was just one that the middle blocker would have to power through it. But would he stick around long enough to even try to get through the practice? 

As Yachi and Yamaguchi watched from their usual post, she could tell that the blond boy was getting more and more frustrated, until he finally made to leave. However, before he could, Kuroo caught his arm with a strong grip, trying to convince him to stay longer. When Tsukishima’s sour glare told him that he wasn’t having any of it today, Kuroo stepped in front of Tsukishima, blocking the door from his view. 

Yachi gulped. Even though the skies were clear, she could feel a storm coming. 

“Move, Kuroo-san.” Although he was quiet, his fury was clearly evident. 

“What are you even doing playing volleyball here, Tsukki?” Nekoma’s captain still wore his trademark cat-like grin, but his words were sharper this time, his question pinning Karasuno’s player down with every word. 

When he doesn’t get a response, the captain continues. 

“Just for the resume? Just for kicks? Just because _you can_? You have a lot of potential somewhere deep in there, Glasses-kun. I can see it, clear as day, and I can see how _amazing_ you can be. Why don’t you just try?” Any shred of a teasing lilt that Kuroo may have had before was completely scrapped from his voice. 

He was cold, cutting, and completely on the dot. 

_Bullseye._

“Why should I?” 

Yachi almost couldn’t hear it, but she saw Tsukishima’s pink lips move, just barely, to formulate his response. The words were an arrow to her heart; he wasn’t exactly dejected when he said the question, he was just… _tired_. The blond boy was tired, and Yachi didn’t like it. Especially when she knew what Tsukishima could do, already had a taste of what he was like when he was really riled up. 

_Determined_. 

Tsukishima lifts his head to meet Kuroo’s ebony eyes, and his resolve seems to tighten. With more conviction this time, the first year repeats, “Why should I? I’ll never be number one, not even if I practiced every single second of the day. I don’t even know I like, let alone love this sport, either. So yeah, _why should I_?” 

A challenge. Yachi looked to Kuroo, anxious to see how he would respond. This was the turning point, this was the make it or break it moment to convince Tsukishima. 

The third year walked closer to Tsukishima, until they were almost nose to nose. Even though Kuroo was slightly shorter than the boy, he still dominated an aura of mysterious authority. 

“What, _number one_? Let me tell you something, _no one here is number one_ , Tsukishima. All you can do is keep climbing, keep improving.” 

Every word was a punch in the gut, it left Yachi breathless. The conviction in his voice, the absolute ironclad will that Kuroo exuded even affected Tsukishima. The blond middle blocker’s eyes were widening, encaptured by the older boy who seemed to somehow get closer to him.

Kuroo puts his hands on Tsukishima’s shoulders, caging him in with his hands. 

“Tsukki, once you get that moment that hooks you on volleyball, you will know. That’s when you’ll grow to love the sport. And I really, _really_ hope you stick around long enough until you get that moment.” 

Yachi’s breath hitches as Kuroo leans in even closer, leaving only a hair of a distance between the two. His next words were barely loud enough for Yamaguchi and Yachi to hear, but they still catch it. 

“Besides, you’re always going to number one in someone else’s heart.” 

There’s no more space between the two as Kuroo pulls the blond boy flush to himself, connecting their lips together in a heated kiss. Tsukishima’s eyes widen, his golden irises brilliantly shining in surprise, until they finally flutter shut as he relaxes into the kiss. 

_Oh. My. God._

Yachi is in overdrive as she and Yamaguchi back away, their bodies trembling in disbelief. Tsukishima was just kissed by Kuroo. The cat man just kissed Tsukki. Tsukishima and Kuroo. Kuroo and Tsukishima. 

Rubbing her eyes, Yachi is shocked into silence. She had it all wrong from the start. Kuroo was the Romeo, and Tsukishima was the Juliet! She and Yamaguchi were just the side characters, who had stumbled into something that was private. _Very private,_ Yachi thinks as the kiss replayed in her head over and over again. Heat traveled up her chest to her face, marking her with a blush. 

Yamaguchi and Yachi share a look, and silently acknowledged that they weren’t going to mention this to each other again. As the two walked away on shaky legs, they hear Bokuto yell loudly, “AKAAAAAASHI, CAN WE DO THAT TOO?” only to hear a quieter, “Bokuto-san, get your face away from mine, please.” 

They run the rest of the way back to their rooms.

… 

The next time Yachi and Yamaguchi see Tsukishima at practice, Kuroo is behind him. Tsukishima looks a little flushed and Yachi wonders why, until Kuroo shoots the two first years a wicked grin and a thumbs up. 

Yachi looks away as fast as she can, mortified to the core. 

Yachi does note, however, that Tsukishima is wearing the subtlest of smiles, a truly genuine happy expression. It was much better than his usual apathetic yet condescending sneer, which is definitely an improvement. 

She looks back at the two, seeing a blustering Tsukishima trying to brush an unrelenting affectionate Kuroo off. 

Yachi smiles. 

_Definitely an improvement._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a sucker for kurotsukki what can i say


	5. Act IV: The Trash King and the Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She clasped her hand over her mouth as if she could take back the betraying sneeze, but the damage had been done. 
> 
> “Who’s there?” Oikawa asks sharply, “Show yourself.” 
> 
> Yachi gulps, feeling like a spy who had just been caught on a top secret mission.

Just when Yachi had thought she had seen it all at the Tokyo summer training camp, another challenge eventually reared its familiar, daunting head. 

_The Spring High Tournament._

As Karasuno’s volleyball team walked into the huge building, harboring the volleyball courts that they would be playing on in the near future, Yachi saw students from so many different high schools. Their uniforms created a brilliant cacophony of colors, catching her eye each and every way she turned. 

She also didn’t miss the way that people were looking at them, their trademark black and orange uniforms identifying them as Karasuno, the fallen crows who had risen once again to regain their rightful title. 

Surrounded by giants, Yachi managed to keep her cool this time around. She had already experienced being in a jungle of titans at the Tokyo summer camp, so it was a little less terrifying now, especially when she had Shimizu by her side once again. 

Karasuno had managed to win their first two matches, and now they were waiting on the court of their next match, about to fight their ultimate rival school— Aoba Johsai. They had around five minutes until the match began, and Yachi was nervous as hell. 

Yachi heard all the stories of how the Karasuno crows had found themselves against Aoba Johsai last year, the match that every high school volleyball player had been talking about after it had gone down. They were doing _so well_ the last time they were fighting Seijoh, but then it all went downhill at the end when Hinata’s quick attack was blocked, and _oh my gosh_ , Yachi was going to be sick from all the nerves—

“Yachi, are you alright?” 

The mellifluous voice came from her side. It was Shimizu, an angel in the midst of all these giants. Her beautiful face was contorted into a worried expression, her blue eyes watching Yachi’s surely greening face. 

The blonde girl simply nodded, not trusting herself not to puke right then and there, and spit out a quick, “Gotta use the bathroom,” before stumbling out of the court hurriedly. 

As Yachi made her way to the bathroom haphazardly, nearly stumbling into multiple astonished volleyball players, she suddenly remember Hinata’s warning. 

_“When you’re here Yachi, don’t use the bathroom alone! Bring a friend!”_

_“What? Why?”_

_The orange haired boy shuddered, as if remembering something especially unpleasant. “Really scary things happen at the bathrooms at volleyball matches. They’re just bad luck. Be careful!”_

Almost immediately, Yachi went into stealth mode. She crouched and put her back to the wall, shuffling across it like a spy. She looked all around her for any suspicious characters that would want to pick a fight. 

_All clear_ , she thought as she was about to turn the corner towards the bathrooms, until she heard a voice and immediately froze. This is it, wasn’t it? The danger that Hinata was talking about was lurking right around the corner, and Yachi had almost ran into it. 

“Just spit it out, Oikawa!” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Iwa-cha—”

“Don’t give me that, Trashykawa, I know you. I know you’re hiding something.” 

Hearing a snippet of the clearly heated argument, curiosity struck Yachi; she peeked her head around the corner, to see a beautiful, tall, brown haired man arguing with a prickly dark haired man, both clad in the same teal jerseys. Her mouth opened slightly into an “o” of surprise as she recognized that they were from Aoba Johsai— this was the infamous captain, Oikawa Tooru, and his right hand man, Iwaizumi Hajime. 

But what were they doing here, minutes away from the most important game they had today, arguing? 

“I’m not hiding anything!” Oikawa whined. He shifted from foot to fit, twiddling with the edge of his jersey restlessly. 

“Your eye twitches when you lie, you know? It’s really not cool.” 

“Wow, that’s just cold, Iwa-chan.” 

“So what’s bothering you?” 

“Nothing!” 

The conversation goes on like this, reaching no definitive resolution. Yachi relaxes against the wall, however, feeling somewhat relieved. This Oikawa wasn’t as terrifying as her first impression of him was, seeing as she related to the jittery third year right about now. Although a lot of girls seemed to fawn over him, she had managed to get a glimpse of him when they had first come to the tournament, and she thought he was kind of scary. Apart from being freakishly tall, he wore that unnerving smile all the time, which made it even more of a shock when he made terrifying expressions during his games. 

Yachi didn’t even know what to expect from him half the time, and just opted to avoid hi—

_“ACHOO!”_

She clasped her hand over her mouth as if she could take back the betraying sneeze, but the damage had been done. Foiled, and by herself no less! Well, now she _really_ couldn’t avoid him, as the two teens turned towards her, eyes flashing. 

“Who’s there?” Oikawa asks sharply, “Show yourself.” 

Yachi gulps, feeling like a spy who had just been caught on a top secret mission, when all she had wanted to do was go to the bathroom and splash some water on her face to soothe the painful knots of anxiety that had settled in the pit of her stomach. But now, as she forced her lead-filled feet to step in the line of sight of the two older boys, her stomach felt like it was being used as a punching bag. 

Iwaizumi appraised her, giving the small girl a once-over before asking gruffly, “Who are you?” 

Flinching slightly at his rough voice, Yachi straightens up and piped, “I’m Yachi Hitoka, Karasuno’s manager. Er—” She catches her mistake and quickly corrects herself. “—manager-in-training, I mean. N-nice to meet you!”

Yachi feels her face trying to offer the two a polite smile, but it might have came out as a nervous grimace instead. 

Oikawa smiles sweetly in a way that makes ice shoot up Yachi’s spine, his brown eyes pinning her down like a deer in a hunter’s trap. 

“Oh, so Karasuno has stooped so low that they’re sending their little manager to eavesdrop, huh?” 

The blond first year blinks in surprise, her legs beginning to shake with a weird mixture of fear and anger. What in the world was he talking about? 

She begins to deny it, saying, “I was just looking for the bathr—”

But Iwaizumi beats her to the punch. Literally. 

His fist connects with the top of Oikawa’s head, not forcefully enough to truly hurt, but enough to get him to shut up. Just like that, the captain’s killer expression is erased from his face, replaced by one of wide-eyed disbelief.

“Iwa-chan, what are yo—” 

“Apologize, idiot.” 

“But, Iwa—”

Pinching his cheek until it turned pink, Iwaizumi repeated once more, “That is no way to speak to a fellow student. Now, apologize to the nice first year.” 

Oikawa turns his glare onto Yachi, and she feels a bolt of electricity kickstart her heart recklessly, as she notices that his fake smile is completely gone. The blonde girl tenses up, waiting for his move, ready to defend herself in an instant. 

And then Oikawa sighs. “I’m sorry.” 

_What?_

Yachi blinks. A second passes. And then another. 

“Ehh?” She exclaims, not expecting the brown haired boy to actually apologize. 

His lips curled into a sneer, which earned him another slap from Iwaizumi. Groaning grumpily, he said, “I’m sorry. Now, can you please leave?” 

_Crisis averted._

Yachi let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding. Taking another glance at the spiky haired man, she was glad that, despite his sharp eyes and scary scowl that he seemed to be wearing 24/7, he really was a nice guy. 

“Oh. T-thanks,” she breathed, about to leave, before Iwaizumi spoke again. 

“Thanks? For what?” 

Yachi turned around to meet the third year’s charcoal eyes. They weren’t filled with malice, however, just genuine curiosity. 

“Um, for not murdering me?”

Iwaizumi has no response for that, just looking surprised. Yachi turns around again, about to leave once more before the two changed their minds about letting her live, but something stopped her. 

The conversation that Oikawa and Iwaizumi were having before she sneezed was bothering her. 

_“I’m not hiding anything!”_

She glanced at Oikawa fleetingly, taking in the third year’s slight grimace, how his hand rested on his stomach subtly, how his brow was pinched ever so slightly. 

“Oikawa-san…” She starts quietly, the captain looking up to meet her gaze, “It’s okay to be nervous.” 

His eyes widen, and Yachi thinks she overstepped her bounds this time. She already eavesdropped on their conversation, and giving them her own input probably wasn’t the best way to get out of this situation with her head still attached to her body. Just as she was about to make a mad dash for freedom, a _huge_ hand— seriously, it was as big as a really huge maple leaf— landed on her shoulder, effectively stopping her from running away. 

It was Oikawa, now only a few inches away from her face. A few inches _too close_ to Yachi for comfort. She considered falling to her knees to beg for mercy from the Grand King, but stopped when she saw his expression. Pure, unadulterated nervousness. 

“How did you know?” He said quietly, so quietly that she almost didn’t catch the question that left his incredibly pink, thin lips. 

From her peripheral, she notices that Iwaizumi had perked up at the direction that the conversation was headed, listening intently, but not interrupting. 

Yachi gulps, and meets Oikawa’s intense stare, almost losing herself in the depths of his chocolate eyes, before she rambles, “I have a lot of experience with being nervous. It’s actually why I was heading to the bathroom just now. I’m so _scared_ , terrified really. I’m scared for Karasuno, scared for Hinata, scared for Daichi-san, scared for… all of them.” The knot in her stomach seems to loosen with every word, as the emotions inside of her seem to leak out. “See, I’m just experiencing second hand nervousness, but my stomach still hurts this much! I can only imagine how much yours does right now,” her eyes flick down to his hand curling into a half-fist on his belly for a moment, before she meets Oikawa’s eyes once more. 

Oikawa just echoes, “Second hand nervousness?” 

Yachi nods rapidly. “Yeah, like, I’m not even playing the game, but I’m still nervous for my friends who are playing! You’re experiencing first hand nervousness, however, because you’re actually the one playing. I mean, it _is_ your last year and I get how you feel. You’re probably thinking that this is a ‘do or die’ situation, or something like that, righ—” 

She stops when she notices that Oikawa is turning kind of green and his eyes aren’t really focused on her anymore, and she starts trembling herself. Reaching into her purse pocket, she fishes something out and boldly grasps Oikawa’s hand, shaking him out of his thoughts. 

“Oikawa-san!” she barks, effectively getting his attention. “It’s okay, take it from me, the number one expert on anxiety and nervousness! You have your team helping you, so all you have to do is keep your wits about you. No matter what, just know that if me, this Townsperson B type of character, can overcome her fears, then the Grand King can definitely do so too! Please, do your best!”

The words tumble out like a waterfall, almost as if Yachi were speaking on autopilot. 

Oikawa’s mouth is slightly open at the end of Yachi’s mini-monologue; maybe he’s in utter surprise at the audacity of the first year to speak to him like that, or maybe it was the fact that Yachi’s trembling hands on his were somehow reassuring. He looks down at their hands, closing his mouth without having said a word in response. 

Yachi immediately lets go, flustered beyond her wits. The hands had felt huge, much too big for hers, but she could still feel the ghost of them. They were oddly warm, something that didn’t suit the cold nature of the Grand King that she thought him to be. 

Turning to Iwaizumi, she manages to stutter out before completely losing the confidence-high she was riding, “Y-you… even though you’re technically on the side Karasuno has to defeat, take care of your friend please!” 

She bows in a split second, missing the completely floored expression that Iwaizumi wore as he, too, was rendered speechless by the twittering blonde. 

As the two watched Karasuno’s manager— _manager-in-training_ —run away, Iwaizumi whistled in pseudo-exasperation. Those crows somehow managed to surprise him, each in different ways, every single time they met. 

The black haired teen stood next to Oikawa, who was still looking at his hand, which was clenched in a shaking fist. Utter disbelief was evident on his face. Iwaizumi looked at his hand as well, about to ask his captain what was wrong, before the brown haired teen opened the fist slowly. 

An antacid tablet. 

The little spitfire had slipped an antacid into Oikawa’s palm. 

Iwaizumi felt a slight stinging behind his eye that he quickly shook off, snaking his arm around Oikawa’s hips, almost aggressively. He spoke in a strained voice, not like his usual gruff voice. 

“Dumbass, nervous wreck Trashykawa, come here.” 

And so, the two walked together, arms clutching at each other’s shoulders and stupid grins on their faces as they made their way to the last game that they would play together. 

_Together._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this one bc i love oik and iwa they are just Too Good for this world  
> One more chapter left!!


	6. Act V: The Princess and Townsperson B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shimizu ran her fingers through her silky hair, chuckling lightly. “I’m fine,” she looked outside the window that Yachi had been just moments before, “Even though today was inevitable, it still feels so _surreal_ , as if I’m still going to come back to school in the same uniform, surrounded by the same people again next year.”

Yachi felt kind of numb. She didn’t expect today to jump on her so unexpectedly, stealthier than she could ever hope to be, harsher than Tsukishima’s worst insults, more bitter than the time she accidentally added ten entire lemons to her fruit cake. 

Today was the day that the third years of Karasuno High graduate. 

Yachi stared at the window at her seat by the edge of the classroom. The breeze caressed her face nicely, but she felt so utterly desensitized that she could barely feel it. It wasn’t good to be in this state, Yachi knew somewhere in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t help it. If she wasn’t like this, then she’d instead be bawling the entire day, thinking about how she wouldn’t see the first and second years play with Daichi, Suga, or Asahi again. 

Thinking about how she wouldn’t see Shimizu again, not for a long time. 

“Ah, Yachi?” The sweet, unbelievably placid voice that Yachi had grown to know and love reached her ears. 

_Think of the devil, and she shall appear. Or, in this case, the angel._

The blonde first year turned her head around to meet infinitely deep ocean blue eyes, and a small smile that immediately broke through all of Yachi’s protective barriers like it was nothing. She could _feel_ again, the warmth of the sun reaching her arms, the happiness of seeing Shimizu smile reaching her heart, the pain of them leaving quickening her breath—

“Hi, Kiyoko-san! How are you feeling? You must be excited, right? Today’s the day.” Yachi tried to feign cheeriness, plastering on a fake smile that put even the most distinguished actors to shame. 

Shimizu ran her fingers through her silky hair, chuckling lightly. “I’m fine,” she looked outside the window that Yachi had been just moments before, “Even though today was inevitable, it still feels so _surreal_ , as if I’m still going to come back to school in the same uniform, surrounded by the same people again next year.” 

Yachi nodded, completely understanding the feeling. That’s how she felt the day before she moved to her current house, having made great friends in the place she used to live. Of course, she loved Karasuno High to a great extent, but her old school still held a special place in her heart. 

“Ah, that reminds me! I was at Aoba Johsai for their senior graduation yesterday, since I have a cousin that attends the school. As luck would have it, I ran into Oikawa-san, captain of Seijoh’s volleyball team, and he said something very interesting to me.” 

_Oikawa Tooru_. Yachi remembered him very well, since after that day at the Spring High Tournament, she had agonized a lot about the conversation she had with him and Iwaizumi. She had told the third year to do his best, to not be nervous, and he played in the match against Karasuno very well. Yachi even caught herself having the fleeting thought that it was a shame Oikawa lost. Then she immediately felt shame and confusion. How could she be sad for Oikawa when she was also incredibly, indescribably, happy that Karasuno had won? 

Eventually, Yachi had come to terms with the bittersweet emotion. She loved Karasuno, and she was undoubtedly proud of her team, and didn’t regret the results of the match whatsoever. Still, she also hoped that Oikawa and Iwaizumi were doing okay. 

“What did Oikawa-san say?” 

Shimizu’s eyes twinkled with something akin to pride, and Yachi could feel her cheeks warming a bit. 

“He asked me to pass a message to you, in regards to the day of the Karasuno v. Seijoh match at the Spring High Tournament.” 

Yachi perked up at this, eyes widening slightly, listening intently to every word the manager was saying. 

“He says, ‘Thanks for the antacid and the advice, Sunshine-chan. If I had to be stuck on an island with anyone in the Karasuno volleyball club, originally I would rather just die, but now I think I wouldn’t mind if it were you. Sunshine-chan is not to be confused with Chibi-chan.’”

Yachi blinked and then laughed, eyes watering as the force of her giggles surprised even herself. Hearing Oikawa’s melodramatic, compliment-wrapped-in-an-insult type of message in Shimizu’s voice was just too much. She gasped for air at the end of her hysterics, earning her a few odd looks from surrounding students, but Shimizu didn’t seem to mind. If anything, her smile seemed to widen. 

“Thanks for telling me, Kiyoko-san. Even when he lost, he’s still the same old Oikawa-san. Although, I suppose I shouldn’t be speaking as if I know him very well!” Yachi flushed a little in embarrassment, scratching the back of her head. 

It wasn’t like she would get the chance to know Oikawa well, either. He had already graduated, after all. 

The fact settled like a rock at the bottom of the ocean that was her stomach, threatening to unleash a tsunami. Needless to say, Yachi’s emotional state was in turmoil, and she wasn’t having a very fun time. 

Despite her own distress, the blonde first year didn’t miss the small sigh that Shimizu let out, before turning to leave and get to class before it started. 

Yachi didn’t bother asking what was wrong. It was already painfully obvious. 

Instead, she pulled out her phone and opened a new message. Finding the contact name in the search bar, she started composing the message. 

**Me:** agent yams!! is the plan in motion???

**Yams:** Yes, ma’am!! 

Yachi put away her phone and smiled, a devious grin that might have even rivaled Mama Suga’s. 

She was going to bring a smile to Shimizu’s face. Yachi was going to be the hero this time. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

“S-Suga!” 

Yachi couldn’t help but laugh as she watched the scene unravel before her, Daichi exclaiming Suga’s name as the silver haired boy sobbed his brains out on the captain’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” he blubbered, but his words could barely be made out over his tears, “I just can’t believe we’re leaving.” 

The third years were all in their graduation gowns, save for Shimizu who was still changing in another room for the female graduates. Yachi, along with the first and second year volleyball players, had managed to catch Daichi, Suga, and Asahi before they went out to the field to walk and get their diplomas. 

“There, there,” Asahi tried to console his friend by patting him on the back, but his own eyes were wet as well. 

Noya and Tanaka were trembling, and Yachi could tell that the waterworks were starting to get to them as well. 

The short libero stomped his way to Daichi’s side and slapped him heartily on the back, causing the black haired boy to yelp in surprise. 

“You better stay strong, okay!? Don’t let these two crybabies get to you,” He choked out, only to hide his red face in his elbow, sniffling. 

“Who’s the crybaby, crybaby?” 

“Tanaka, you’re crying too!” 

Yachi laughed again with utter mirth, coming to a realization that she had reached time and time over again since that fateful day Shimizu had asked her to become the manager.

She was in love. She was in love with each and every single one of the Karasuno crows, and now that the third years were leaving, it was like a piece of her heart was being torn away. Yachi didn’t know how much more she could take before she became a sobbing mess like Suga, but even so, she sealed away these memories safely. 

A gasp from Hinata made Yachi turn around. 

Shimizu had walked in, and Yachi couldn’t _breathe_. 

The beautiful third year had her hair down as always, but somehow, it seemed even more sleek and softer today, shining in the school lights magically. Her deep blue eyes complimented the sapphire necklace adorning her neck, and her glasses were forgone for contacts. The charcoal black gown that every student wore somehow made Shimizu stand out, if that was even possible. 

She was the same goddess that approached Yachi, yet she was also so much more. Shimizu Kiyoko, the calm, alluring, intelligent angel manager of Karasuno— most importantly, the person who had pushed Yachi head-first into this entire adventure. 

Her mere presence commanded the attention of the room. 

“We have to leave in five minutes, but before we go, I would like to say a few words,” her voice never wavered as a small smile appeared on her face, “I want to thank all of you for taking care of me all these years. It has been an honor to work with you, and I will never forget the memories made after school, at the training camps, and at the tournaments. Wherever you go, whatever you end up becoming, all I ask is that you keep these memories as dear to your heart as I do.”

Shimizu bowed deeply, her hair cascading to frame her face. 

All of the team were silent, completely and utterly stunned. Even Suga had stopped sobbing, amber eyes wide with awe, jaw dropped in surprise, mirroring the rest of the team’s expressions. 

Then, as if a flip was switched, Tanaka and Noya dropped to their knees and screamed, “KIYOKOOOOO!” 

The third years rushed forward to embrace their manager, Suga sobbing even harder as she clutched at Shimizu’s robes. Daichi and Asahi couldn’t contain their sniffles at this point either, as Shimizu’s tinkling, affectionate laughs filled their ears, the girl patting their backs consolingly. 

Yachi wished this never had to end. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

After the graduation ceremony, more tears were shed, surely enough to fill the an entire ocean. 

The volleyball club met up in front of the school’s entrance, as they made to say their last goodbyes before heading home. Tanaka and Noya were patting the third years on the back heartily, talking about how they would take care of the new first years who would join the volleyball team, and lead the Karasuno crows to victory. 

Hinata and Kageyama nodded vigorously in agreement with the two, and although Tsukishima didn’t respond, they knew that he too was going to miss Daichi, Suga, and Asahi. After all, it was thanks to them that he went to the summer training camp and eventually confirmed his passion for playing volleyball. It was thanks to them that Hinata and Kageyama were able to work well with each other without murdering each other. It was thanks to them that Yamaguchi was able to gain enough confidence to unleash his killer jump float serves on the world. 

“Wait,” Hinata said, coming to a realization before the third years left for good, “Where is Yamaguchi?” 

All eyes turned to Tsukishima, who just shrugged and looked away. 

“Yachi isn’t here either,” Shimizu noticed with a slight frown. 

As if on cue, the small blonde girl came barreling into their line of sight, stopping in front of them to catch her breath. Her hair was wildly skewed everywhere, and her cheeks were flushed with exertion, eyes wide with worry. 

“What’s wrong, Yachi?!” Hinata exclaimed, immediately looking around to see if there was a serial killer chasing his friend. 

“There’s an emergency,” she wheezed urgently, “it’s in the gymnasium!” 

Suga moved forward, clasping the girl gently on both shoulders. “What happened?” 

“Um… it’s Yamaguchi!” She waved her hands like a mad woman, trying to emphasize the severity of what happened, “He fell in a sinkhole! There’s a sinkhole! A really tiny one, right in the middle of the volleyball court, and the only way to get him out is if we all run over there, _right now_!” 

Her heart was pounding a storm in her chest, as she hoped that everyone would believe her so she could move onto the next phase of her plan. 

“A sinkhole?” Daichi echoed incredulously, while Hinata and Kageyama’s eyes were bugging out. 

“A sinkhole?! We need to call the police,” Kageyama said hurriedly, pulling out his cellphone. 

_Uh oh_ , Yachi nearly panicked, before Shimizu stopped Kageyama, placing a hand on his shoulder. The setter immediately turned apple red, and Yachi swore that she saw steam coming out his ears, like in a silly cartoon. 

“Let’s not get too rash here,” the angel said, a flicker of amusement in her voice, “How about we just follow Yachi and help Yamaguchi out?” 

Suga, Daichi, and Asahi shared a glance after hearing Shimizu’s words that Yachi couldn’t decipher, but the poorly concealed smiles on their faces reassured her that they would go along with her plan. 

Chest puffing with pride, Yachi crowed, “Okay, this way!” and lead the volleyball club members to the gymnasium. 

Yachi pulls open the door. It’s dark inside, so dark that the third years can’t make out what’s there, but they still follow the blonde girl as they walk in. The darkness envelopes them as she closes the door behind them, until—

“SURPRISE!” 

A cacophony of voices surprises them. Dazzling light floods in as someone turned on the switch, stunning the Karasuno volleyball members. Surrounding them are all students like them— no, not just any students, _volleyball players_. 

Yachi grinned, taking in the reaction of everyone as the sweet embrace of realization melded into excitement on the faces of each and every one of her friends. After all, she had taken about a month to plan the invite list— how could she not bring the players from the Tokyo summer training camp? Familiar faces from Nekoma, Fukurodani, Date Tech, and more encircled them, and Yachi felt the raw satisfaction of all her hard working finally coming to fruition. 

“W-what is all this?” Suga croaks, on the verge of blubbering like a baby again, as Yamaguchi walks out from the crowd to Yachi’s side and gives his friends a sheepish grin and a wave. 

Even Daichi is floored. “How…?” 

Yachi smiled, a warmth flooding her chest as she and Yamaguchi shared a high five, before turning to the third years again to explain.

“Yamaguchi and I planned this together. We really wanted you to have a memorable graduation experience, and it was just pure luck that these schools had their graduation date a few days before ours, so we were able to invite everyone to come and celebrate. I used to part time at a restaurant, so I pulled a few strings to get barbequed food and iced drinks. Please, help yourselves!”

As Tanaka and Noya noogied Yamaguchi, calling him names such as _sly boy_ for being able to keep the plan a secret from all of them, Suga was trembling in his shoes, covering his mouth with one hand. 

“Suga? What’s wrong?” Asahi asked. 

The setter pointed to the familiar black banner that they all knew at tournaments, hung up in the back of the gym for all to see. 

It had the same characters for the word “Fly!”, but under it, the third year’s names were written in stylized silver paint:

_Daichi, our invincible captain_

_Suga, the glue of the team_

_Asahi, our powerful friendly giant_

_Shimizu, our goddess manager_

Yachi smiled indulgently. She was rather proud of herself for that one, thinking that it was a nice touch. 

“I, er, took a bit of liberty with the banner, I hope you li—”

She was interrupted by a sob, this time from Asahi, the gentle giant himself. 

“It’s beautiful,” Shimizu said, her eyes shining as she looked up at the banner, caught up in the memory of when she first had the word _Fly!_ painted on it to boost the team’s morale. “Perfect.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but Yachi let the words float around her mind over and over again. It was a nice feeling. 

A voice called over the chatter of the students, one that Yachi immediately associated with a cat-like smile that could never leave her head, not even if she tried to bleach the memory out. 

“I’d like to call for a toast!” The aggravatingly confident voice called out over the crowd, as the man in question held up a lemonade glass and stood on top of a soap box.

He effectively captured the attention of the gym, as heads turned to Kuroo Tetsuro, captain— er, former captain of Nekoma’s volleyball team. 

“To Karasuno!”

The charismatic man’s declaration instigated a round of applause and cheers from the students, including Hinata, Noya, and Tanaka, who seemed to be bursting a lung with every whoop they let out. 

When the mirth died down, Kuroo took this as his cue to continue.

“Daichi, although you have a great ass—”

“Kuroo, no—”

“And although my ass is already taken by another hot piece of ass— that’s right Tsukki, I’m talking about you,” he declared with a wink and a blown kiss as Tsukishima wishes there was an actual sinkhole he could jump into, “I have to admit that you are by far the most admirable captain that Karasuno has ever seen. And I think we should toast to that— and we can also toast to my _boyfriend’s existen_ —”

A certain blond telephone pole drags him away before he can continue to embarrass him anymore, and everyone lets out good natured laughter. 

Yachi can’t say she’s surprised that Tsukki and Kuroo were dating now, but she was curious about how they got to that point. Of course, _that’s a story for later_ , she thought as Tanaka steps up to the soapbox and clears his throat to get everyone’s attention once more. 

“Daichi san, you really are the best captain, and the best dad that this team needed. I’ve seen you and Suga pick up each other after a grueling game, after every failure at the training camp, after every single mistake, and for that Karasuno has the pride to say that we’re at the top— and this time, I think us crows are here to stay.” 

Another round of cheers went up, as Suga smiled a watery grin. 

Asahi whistled lowly, sporting a look of unadulterated surprise. “I think that was the most un-roguelike thing I have ever heard Tanaka say.” 

Tanaka didn’t get much more of a chance to bask in the glory of the cheers, however, as Noya shoved him goodnaturedly off of the soapbox with a cheeky grin.

“Oi, oi, oi!” He hooted, taking a page from Bokuto’s book, “We can’t forget about Karasuno’s very own friendly giant either— yeah, Asahi, I mean you! I won’t let you forget when you ran away—” Asahi flinched at the words, but Noya continued, “—but I also sure as hell won’t let you forget when you came back, when you fought back to the top, when you destroyed Date Tech’s Iron Wall! Er, no offense guys,” He added quickly, looking at some of the Date Tech players who were invited. “Anyhow, I want a huge round of applause to Mama, Papa, and Bearded Jesus!” 

Noya’s words were met with a round of laughter and applause, along with some confused mutters of, “Bearded Jesus? Mama? Papa? What?” 

As Tanaka drags Noya away from the spotlight to slap him on the back, Yachi feels her legs moving on autopilot. She makes her way to the soapbox timidly, getting jostled by the crowd at times, but keeping her eye on her target nevertheless. Doubts floated around in her mind in what felt like the eternity that took her to get to the soapbox. 

After all, how could she speak after Noya and Tanaka’s emotion-filled speeches? 

Even so, she knew that she had to say these words that were tumbling around in her, threatening to burst her existence at the seams. 

Taking a step onto the elevated platform, she takes a breath and closes her eyes. 

“U-um,” Yachi clears her throat meekly, getting no one’s attention at first. 

Clenching her fists as the girl steeled her resolve, she yelled with more force, “Hey!” 

Rows of eyes turned on her, curiously awaiting what the tiny first year had to say. Gulping around the lump in her throat, she starts shakily, “First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for coming here.” 

The lump becomes almost too big to talk around, and Yachi doesn’t think that she can talk in front of this many people. She was just a Townsperson B, after all, right? It only made sense that she would chicken out in the heat of the moment like this, legs locking and hands trembling, surrounded by huge people staring down at her, waiting for her every word—

The smiling faces of the third years caught her eye. Suga nodded at her encouragingly, while Daichi gave her a thumbs up. Shimizu and Asahi simply looked at her with a reassuring smile, silently willing her to continue. 

Even now, they were pushing her on. Even on the last day of their high school volleyball career, they were still helping out this Townsperson B. 

Yachi is filled with determination. 

Her voice is strong this time, all doubt left behind in the dust, resolve strengthening her. 

“Thank you, Tanaka-san and Noya-san for acknowledging Suga-san, Daichi-san, and Asahi-san. However, I want to thank the one person who all this wouldn’t have been possible without. I mean, without her tireless dedication and encouragement, this team wouldn’t have been able to get on their feet and be one hundred percent motivated to succeed. Without her, we wouldn’t have even been able to get our own school banner that reminds us everyday: the Karasuno crows _can fly_. I know that everyone calls us the clipped crows, but that’s not the case anymore, and the angel that helped the crows mend their wings is a truly amazing, wonderful person.” 

Yachi made bold eye contact with the one girl who she had admired from the moment they met, the one person who she would miss the most when she left. Bowing deeply, Yachi’s iron-clad voice reverberated through the gym. 

“Thank you, Shimizu Kiyoko, for being the world’s most beautiful and amazing manager!” 

A small moment of silence passed, before other volleyball players started bowing to the angelic manager of Karasuno, chanting, “KIYOKO-SAN!” 

Even Suga, Daichi, and Asahi joined in, bowing and then saluting to the girl who had their backs ever since the beginning of their high school volleyball career. 

Cheers continued to spread around the students, the endorphin-filled atmosphere proving to be uber contagious.

Yachi felt hands around her, gently guiding her body to stand straight up from her previous bowing position. Chestnut eyes met ocean blue, and Yachi swore that her skin was burning, probably on flames, from where Shimizu’s hands had caressed her. 

Shimizu flashed the first year a genuine, loving smile. 

“Thank you, Hitoka-chan.”

The hands that had affected Yachi so deeply were suddenly on her cheeks. Shimizu was getting closer, ever so close, those gorgeous pink lips getting _closer_ , until they joined Yachi’s.

For a moment, Yachi thought she was in heaven. It was only until Shimizu pulled away, when Yachi saw Tanaka remove his shirt and swing it around like a madman, when she heard Noya scream excitedly, when the entire room burst into applause once more, that Yachi knew she was back on Earth. 

As she looked up into Kiyoko’s eyes, thinking about how she could get lost in the watery depths of her irises, she came to a conclusion, a resolution of sorts. 

_Looks like even Townsperson B gets a happy ending._

She leaned in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I'm probably gonna be a blubbering mess when Haikyuu!! actually does end so That's Great
> 
> #SaveYachi2k16


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